Through intricate planning and dazzling adaptability, the Sith Master Darth Sidious rose to the office of Supreme Chancellor, regarded by galactic citizens as an unwavering defender of the Republic in the grim days of the Clone Wars. Their trust and reverence granted him the power necessary to engineer the Clone Wars and manipulate the Jedi with the firm intent to destroy the Order and enslave the galaxy.

As the disguised Sith Master, Palpatine had many willing servants and aides. The greatest and most tragic of these is Anakin Skywalker, the accomplished young Jedi Knight. Luring him to the dark side with promises of power, Palpatine planted seeds of doubt and fostered Anakin's growing resentment of his suppressed status within the Jedi Order. Overwhelmed by fear and a hunger for power, Anakin becomes Darth Vader, the grim enforcer of Palpatine's will. Following his new master's dark orders, Darth Vader razed the Jedi temple, while Palpatine enacted Order 66, killing the many Jedi scattered across the galaxy fighting in the Clone Wars.

Palpatine called for a special session of the Galactic Senate. Despite his growing disfigurement, he appeared before the assembled politicians of the Republic and gave a stirring speech of how he narrowly escaped a treacherous Jedi rebellion. He assured the people of the Republic that his resolve had not faltered and promised to eradicate corruption from the bloated bureaucracy, reform the government to form a new, more powerful, more secure institution. That day, before thunderous applause, Palpatine declared himself Emperor and took his seat on the Imperial Throne.

In our opinion, one of the most impressive Premium Format Figures Sideshow Collectible has ever produced was Doctor Doom on his elaborate throne. It showed collectors (of all types of proprietary licenses) that Sideshow could make a figure on a throne look pretty sweet. And that is exactly what they did with Dr. Doom. While Star Wars fans may not want to have purchased the Doctor Doom Premium Format Figure, it was impossible to deny just how incredible the sculpting and pose looked and how the realism of the piece brought it to life. Anyway, it made Premium Format collectors want the “Star Wars version” of Doctor Doom for their collections stat. Quite honestly though, the Dr. Doom Premium Format Figure may have been the catalyst for Sideshow Collectibles to develop the Emperor Palpatine On Imperial Throne Premium Format Figure. Confident and proud that they could easily master an evil leader on an ornate throne, Star Wars fans had to wait literally for years before Emperor Palpatine on his throne became a reality in this scale. Thankfully that time has arrived and it has exceeded most peoples’ expectations. Likely to become the pinnacle of many, many collectors’ collections, the piece is stunningly incredible and nearly a borderline miracle for what Sideshow Collectibles has managed to capture in this scale. From the sleek design of his throne chair to the obligatory inclusion of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber hilt, there is quite a bit to cherish here for years to come. We haven’t come across a Premium Format Figure with so much articulation. And if you’re an exclusive collector, there is even more to celebrate with the inclusion of an extra portrait.

The Premium Format Emperor Palpatine On Imperial Throne will definitely leave you speechless for the first few moments you and it get acquainted. As you inspect it over, you’ll quickly realize that Sideshow has set yet another standard for what the incorporate into they well loved and firmly established scales. They’ve taken new routes to ensure fine manufacturing of this at the mass production level and they’ve spent time to capture the expressions and mannerisms of what was actually seen in the film. The Imperial Throne is a combination of polystone and fiberglass instead of just 100% polystone. As a result, it’s very heavy but feels like it’s a much better quality collectible when compared to others in the line. Unfortunately, the Imperial Throne doesn’t rotate like the Sixth Scale Figure Environment Imperial Throne piece does, but then again the Premium Format scaled Imperial Throne comes with cool electronics that the latter does not. Emperor Palpatine is a marvel himself for this scale. Sideshow Collectibles worked in six points of articulation on him including ball-jointed elbows, ball-jointed wrists, a ball-jointed head and a jointed torso. As you can imagine, every possible needed position of him in his Imperial Throne can be attained. The portrait is removable and in its place exclusive collectives can display him with his alternate grimacing expression. On top of that, the standard and exclusive release comes with interchangeable hands which illustrate definitive moods of Emperor Palpatine. The final results are flabbergasting. Emperor Palpatine’s clothing is expertly tailored and the textures and designs are just gorgeous. While Emperor Palpatine comes in a specific pose so that he can fit in his chair, the drapes of his robbing have been woven to fit him wondrously.

It’s hard to consider the Imperial Throne as part of the accessory list when it takes up most of the space in the box, but that has been Sideshow’s mission as of late, to include some breathtakingly large points of interest into their various scaled figure lines. The Imperial Throne doesn’t disappoint at all and it may just be the most impressive work of art they’ve manufactured in years. Underneath the beautifully sketched base is a battery compartment that has been designed for three double A batteries. Then a button (that has been camouflaged well into the chair – we missed it the first couple of times) needs to be pressed to illuminate the beautiful blue light that casts an eerie blue shadow on Emperor Palpatine. The buttons on his chair also light up as well. From the ribbing of the seat of his throne to the flawlessly matched color of the various details, Sideshow Collectible clearly spared no expense to bring Star Wars fans the most accurately designed product for everyone’s collection. To be quite frank, we feel the price of this piece was a little bit too expensive. Keep in mind that Premium Format figures are essentially clothed statues with little to no articulation. Obviously Emperor Palpatine is an exception to this rule already, but almost $500 just seems slightly out of range of what this product should have cost collectors. The price certainly doesn’t detract from the beauty of the piece. But you may have wished for just one or two extra things in this box before being thoroughly satisfied. Still, this is one of the Premium Format figures we’ve been dreaming about and it’s now a reality!

Collector Notes

Emperor Palpatine On Imperial Throne

Status: The Emperor Palpatine and Imperial Throne Premium Format figure captures every detail of the disguised Darth Sidious upon his seat of power over the Galactic Senate. Each piece is individually painted and finished, each with its own unique quality and detail that is the trademark of a handcrafted Sideshow Collectibles product. This dynamic Premium Format figure is dressed in real fabric robes and features posability in the shoulders, waist, and neck, plus switch-out hands for a customizable display. In addition, the figure comes with a light saber hilt to represent the scene of Luke Skywalker's capture at the hands of Darth Vader. The polystone and fiberglass Imperial Throne includes electronic light features. The Emperor Palpatine and Imperial Throne Premium Format Figure is the perfect addition to any STAR WARS display.

Announcement: The Emperor Palpatine On Imperial Throne was informally announced on December 28, 2010 during Sideshow Collectibles annual 12 Days Of Sideshow event. It was then officially teased on January 27, 2001 with even more images revealed in the Production Blog on February 1, 2011.

Pre-order Information: The Emperor Palpatine On Imperial Throne went up for pre-order on February 3, 2011.